Thursday - 2008-0821-1330 - Rain - Rain Shower in Trees; Gail Pittman; A Return to the Pottery Shed; WalMart and Buying Trellises; Working with the Trellises; Working with the Trellises - Results

Rain - Rain Shower in Trees Larger Image An image from FreeFoto.com at "Picture of a shower of rain in some woods." near Liverpool by Ian Britton.

Something I forgot to mention on my journey to the potter last week (See contours provocations journal - 2008-0814-2230-thu) was that my stop on the way back to visit some friends took me by the international headquarters of Gail Pittman - purveyor of "Hand Painted Pottery - Dinnerware, Glasses, Vases, Collectibles."

It would be almost impossible to live in this area and not be aware of her. She started "painting and decorating ceramics as a hobby, and as gifts" in the late 70s literally out of her kitchen. Now she has an international reputation. (See Gail Pittman for some background info.)

I knew her business was located in Ridgeland but did not realize exactly where.

Her work is traditional in style which is not surprising considering the vast market for such items. I discovered that she provides "a complete dinnerware line, table accessories and room décor" for two of Donald Trump's restaurant's in the Trump Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. (See Gail Pittman - Custom Design Information.)

Although it may not be to everyone's taste, there is no denying the high quality and craftsmanship of her merchandise. And would it be tacky to also say high price. The dinnerware under the "Lovely" category on her web page varies in prices per item from $21 to $88. Starter kits are available elsewhere on the page starting at $155 up to $390. Hand-painted dinnerware is not my forte, so such prices may be customary.

Since I inadvertently left some cash at the potter's place on Wednesday, I had to make a return trip on Thursday.

I've not made a comment about the facilities, but it resembles a rambling shed. I'm guessing it was an old house to which various rooms have been added over the years. And there's the wonderful smell of clay. It's surrounded by a bamboo grove on two sides which adds to the remote-like quality.

When he set up shop, Madison was a tiny village with only a few stores. And his shop had the sensibility of a hideaway nook, Now his place is only a few feet from the main thoroughfare from the Interstate, bypassing Lowe's and the super-sized WalMart, to the center of town. The street is only two lanes and is being expanded to four lanes.

I used to try to go to lunch in the downtown area by using the Interstate, but maneuvering the thoroughfare was a nightmare, easily taking 20-25 minutes to transverse. I'm not sure what impact this will have on his business. He may be able to reach out the window and touch passing cars.

Backtracking I thought I'd stop at WalMart and see if they had any end-of-summer garden items. The plant area was barren and the only obvious items were some boxed lawn mowers. But over in the corner I noticed some redwood trellises. One type was rectangular and obviously cheaply made. The other type had an arched top and were far more substantial. I had to take inside to find the price. I made one of those quirky decisions to buy two. One of those decisions that you fear you will regret later.

My warped idea was to use them along two of the living room windows. I wanted something that would break the blast of the summer morning sun. One idea was to hang a fairly large piece of stained glass in each area. But stained glass proved to be expensive. Next idea was to use shutters angled at 45 degrees from the top of the window. But then that would almost totally block the view. I also came across an outside roll-up blind, but it too was pricey and would not reach across all three windows.

Once home, the first idea was to attach the trellises to the window with a hinge at the top. Which I did, but I'd not realized how large the trellises were. They were much taller than the window frame, and the proportion seemed all wrong.

I left the one up to mull over the dilemma for a few days. During the weekend, I examined and re-examined the trellises and finally realized that if I made some strategic cuts at the top and the bottom, I would have an exact fit for the frame. I took down the one that was up and made the cuts, then repeated the same with the second trellis.

Next I add hinges at the top of each and attached them to the top of the frame. The size was almost perfect, but one was a bit rough at the bottom and would not shift inward. So I removed the hinged bolt and sanded the bottom until I had it like I wanted.

The results are so much more impressive than I had anticipated. I love looking out through the segments created by the trellises. Each section outlines a fragment of the outside. It's like having it framed.

Here a photo of one of the windows.

Cedar Trellis in Front Right Window

(In Thursday - 2008-0821-1330 / Out - 2008-0821-2300) This entry was written in multiple settings.

Pax! Erin go braugh! Je accuse...